Wardrobe-bed



J. 0. WIRTS & H. E. SGHOLLE.

(-No Model.)

WARDROBE BED.

No. 322,880. Patented July 21, 1885.

iii: 6%

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB O. -WIRTS AND HENRY E. SCHOLLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS WARDROBE-BED- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,880, dated Ju1y21, 1885.

Application filed April 30, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB G. 'VV IRTS and HENRY E. SOHQLLE, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented cer' tain new and useful Improvements in Wardrobe-Beds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates toa device for attachment to the foot-boards of folding and wardrobe bedsteads, its object being to supply a device that will permanently retain the mattress and bedding in position and prevent the lower end thereof from displacement during the operation of folding thebed-body upwardly against the head-board or other support.

With this end in view our invention consists in such details of construction and combinations of parts, as will hereinafter be distinctly pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a bedstead embodying our improvementin connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a vertical side elevation of the device on enlarged scale, in order to more clearly illustrate its general construction; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the sliding or adj ustable' jaw, showing the manner of location therein of the spring-actuated pawl or detent.

In folding bedsteads as ordinarily constructed the operation of folding and unfolding the same tends to unseat the lower end of the mattress and bedding from its place, and thus are the said operations oftentimes rendered extremely troublesome and difficult to perform. In the employment of the device constructed according to our present invention this inconvenience is greatly overcome and the usefulness of such class of bedsteads very materially enhanced.

Reference being had to the several parts by letter, A represents a bed body or frame in which the slats are held for supporting the mattress. and bedding, and a that port-ion thereof termed the foot-board.

B designates the mattress and bedding.

0 represents a ratchet-bar that is secured at each end to the inner side of the foot-board of a bedstead in any suitable manner, but preferably by screws, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. Attached to the lower end of said bar is a stationary or rigid jaw, C, while movably supported thereon is a sliding or adjustable jaw, 0 This jaw O is constructed with a hollow offset or shell, 0, in which is located a spring-actuated pawl or detent, d, that engages the teeth of the ratchet-bar and maintains the jaw at any point of its vertical adjustment to which it may be brought.

6 represents a spiral spring that surrounds the detent d within the offset or shell, and which bears between the outer end of said offset and an annular flange or collar, (1, formed with the bolt. The tendency of the spring is to force the bolt into engagement with the teeth of bar 0, and there retain it until released by the operator.

e is a small screw-cap fitted on the free end of the bolt, by which the same is manipulated to release the said bolt from its engagement when required. The inner end of the said bolt is formed with a channel or recess, 6, equal in width to the thickness of the ratchetbar, so that when turned to cause the sides thereof to embrace the bar, the jaw C may be raised or lowered to the desired position, and when again turned back tobecome thereby engaged. This latter described operation, however, can be accomplished bysimply drawing in the detent until the proper adjustment to the mattress and bedding is made, and then allowing the resiliency of the spring to again force the bolt outward.

It will be observed that the jaws are curved the mattress when the same is laid in place.

The movable jaw is then adjusted to bear tightly upon the mattress and bedding, and thus is it held firmly. When desirable to remove the mattress or bedding, it is simply necessary to pull the detent outward or 'turnit, as above described, and then elevate or raise the jaw O.

The particular kind of folding bedsteads to which our invention is more especially adapt ed is that class in which the body is hinged or otherwise movably secured at its forward or upper end to the headboard or other suitable support.

It will be apparent that varied forms of construction of the device may be adopted without departing from the spirit of our invention, but for all general purposes we prefer to construct it as shown.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. The combination, with the foot-board of a bedstead, of the ratchet-bar G, the jaw O, rigidly secured thereto, the jaw O movable 

